The Oprah effect

Article Excerpt

WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL $47.21 (New York symbol WTW; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (212-589-2700; www.weightwatchers.com; Shares outstanding: 64.2 million; Market cap: $3.0 billion; No dividends paid) reported 3.5 million active subscribers as of July 1, 2017. That’s up 20.1% from 2.9 million a year earlier. We first recommended the weight-loss specialist at $26.61 for the December 2015 issue of Stock Pickers Digest. Since then, the shares have handed our subscribers a 77.4% gain. In the latest quarter, ended July 1, 2017, Weight Watchers’s revenue rose 10.2%, to $341.7 million from $309.8 million a year earlier. The company earned $45.2 million, or $0.70 a share, in the quarter. That’s up 48.2% from $30.5 million, or $0.48 a share, a year earlier. In 2015, we felt Oprah Winfrey’s decision to buy 10% of the company would help revive its sinking brand. We still think there’s more growth ahead. Weight Watchers is a buy for aggressive investors. —Pat McKeough, Editor Editor…